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CNM vs FERG
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Core & Main (CNM) vs. Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Core & Main (CNM) operates as a specialty distributor focused on water, sewer, storm drain, and fire protection infrastructure products, with recent stock performance showing limited year-to-date gains amid broader market strength.
- Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) provides a broader range of plumbing and heating products across North America and the United Kingdom, posting modest positive year-to-date returns and maintaining a stronger one-year performance relative to CNM.
- Both companies serve overlapping end markets in construction and infrastructure, yet FERG benefits from greater scale, diversified revenue streams, and higher analyst consensus ratings with elevated price targets.
- Recent market activity for CNM has been influenced by anticipation of its fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings release scheduled for June 10, 2026, while FERG has seen steady analyst support following its earlier quarterly results.
- Risk factors include cyclical exposure to housing and nonresidential construction for both, though FERG demonstrates relatively higher return on equity and net margins in comparative analyses.
- Market sentiment favors stability and growth visibility, with FERG exhibiting more consistent momentum in recent trading periods compared with CNM's more variable price action.
Introduction
This comparison examines CNM and FERG, two publicly traded distributors operating in the building products and infrastructure sectors. Both companies supply essential materials to contractors and municipalities, making them relevant for investors seeking exposure to construction cycles, water management trends, and nonresidential building activity. Traders and portfolio managers focused on relative performance, sector rotation, and valuation differentials may find the analysis useful for assessing positioning within the industrials space.
CNM Overview and Recent Performance
Core & Main, Inc. (CNM) specializes in distributing waterworks, sewer, storm drainage, and fire protection products through a network of branches across the United States. The company serves municipal, residential, and nonresidential customers with a focus on infrastructure reliability. In recent market activity, CNM shares have traded near $52, reflecting limited year-to-date movement and underperformance relative to the broader S&P 500 index. Sentiment has been shaped by expectations surrounding the upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings report, scheduled for release on June 10, 2026, with analysts projecting modest EPS growth. Price behavior in recent weeks has shown volatility tied to macroeconomic data on construction spending and interest-rate outlooks.
FERG Overview and Recent Performance
Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (FERG) is a leading distributor of plumbing, heating, and waterworks products, operating primarily in North America with additional presence in the United Kingdom. The company supports residential, commercial, and industrial end markets through an extensive branch network. Recent performance has seen FERG shares around $230, delivering positive year-to-date returns of approximately 4% and one-year gains near 9%, though still trailing the S&P 500 benchmark. Market activity has reflected steady analyst coverage, with multiple firms maintaining Buy ratings and raising price targets following the company’s first-quarter 2026 results reported in early May. Broader sentiment has been supported by resilient nonresidential demand and pricing stability.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
CNM maintains a narrower product focus on water infrastructure, offering potential leverage to municipal spending and regulatory-driven projects, whereas FERG provides broader exposure across plumbing and heating categories with greater geographic reach. Growth drivers for CNM center on infrastructure replacement cycles, while FERG benefits from diversified residential and commercial renovation demand. Recent momentum has favored FERG with comparatively steadier price action and higher analyst price targets around $270–$273. Risk factors for both include sensitivity to housing starts and interest rates, though FERG exhibits stronger profitability metrics such as higher net margins and return on equity. Market sentiment reflects greater institutional attention toward FERG’s scale and consistency in the current environment.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors including relative price stability, earnings visibility, and analyst positioning in recent market activity, Tickeron’s AI would currently assign a higher probability of favorable near-term performance to FERG over CNM. This assessment reflects FERG’s broader diversification, stronger year-to-date returns, and elevated consensus ratings rather than any definitive forecast.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is CNM is a Hold and FERG is a StrongBuy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
CNM’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green whileFERG’s FA Score has 3 green FA rating(s).
- CNM’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- FERG’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
CNM’s TA Score shows that 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while FERG’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CNM’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 7 bearish.
- FERG’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
CNM (@Electronics Distributors) experienced а -7.00% price change this week, while FERG (@Electronics Distributors) price change was +0.22% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronics Distributors industry was +1.44%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +4.16%, and the average quarterly price growth was +6.01%.
Reported Earning Dates
CNM is expected to report earnings on Sep 09, 2026.
FERG is expected to report earnings on Aug 10, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronics Distributors (+1.44% weekly)Electronics distributors are companies that are involved in distribution of one or more of the following: electronic components, computer products/ peripherals and software products & services. Several electronics distributors are also becoming the point of contact for technical/pre- & post-sale support in many cases, in an attempt to bolster their position in the market. Tariffs and/or cross-border trade barriers are some of the potential threats to the electronics supply chain, but that could also potentially lead to re-directing to markets where tariffs/restrictions are lower depending on demand. The industry is also vulnerable in the event of economic slowdowns. Arrow Electronics, Inc., SYNNEX Corporation and Versum Materials, Inc. are some of the major electronics distributors in the U.S.
| CNM | FERG | CNM / FERG | |
| Capitalization | 9.05B | 44.6B | 20% |
| EBITDA | 919M | 3.08B | 30% |
| Gain YTD | -7.004 | 4.549 | -154% |
| P/E Ratio | 20.48 | 22.65 | 90% |
| Revenue | 7.65B | 31.2B | 25% |
| Total Cash | 220M | 820M | 27% |
| Total Debt | 2.44B | 6.08B | 40% |
FERG | ||
|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 65 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 32 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 31 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 30 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 52 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 68 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
| CNM | FERG | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 70% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 83% | 3 days ago 58% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 63% | 3 days ago 70% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 70% | 3 days ago 64% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 65% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 79% | 3 days ago 59% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 79% | 3 days ago 67% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 27 days ago 62% | 7 days ago 54% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 58% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 80% | 3 days ago 57% |
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CNM and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, CNM has been loosely correlated with FERG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 51% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if CNM jumps, then FERG could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To CNM | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNM | 100% | -3.46% | ||
| FERG - CNM | 51% Loosely correlated | +0.90% | ||
| BXC - CNM | 49% Loosely correlated | -0.86% | ||
| AIT - CNM | 48% Loosely correlated | +0.38% | ||
| WCC - CNM | 46% Loosely correlated | +0.89% | ||
| SITE - CNM | 45% Loosely correlated | -0.36% | ||
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FERG and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, FERG has been loosely correlated with AIT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 54% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if FERG jumps, then AIT could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To FERG | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FERG | 100% | +0.90% | ||
| AIT - FERG | 54% Loosely correlated | +0.38% | ||
| WCC - FERG | 53% Loosely correlated | +0.89% | ||
| WSO - FERG | 50% Loosely correlated | -1.01% | ||
| CNM - FERG | 48% Loosely correlated | -3.46% | ||
| SITE - FERG | 47% Loosely correlated | -0.36% | ||
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